Taking Leave With My Senses
by Wolvertique
Summary: An introduction to my personal X-men world from Wolverine's perspective.


Taking Leave With My Senses - Logan's Story  
  
Things are not ever what you'd call "normal" around Chuck's place, but things have been very weird for a long time. Take the whole Scott/Jean breakup, for example.  
  
Jean started coming to me for several months before she finally broke it off. She would talk about what was going on in their relationship, and let's just say it didn't improve my opinion of the One-Eyed Monster. I saw before she did that things were getting worse and she needed to get out, but Jean's no dummy and figured it out one night about...a year ago now. Man. That was a long time.  
  
I remember everything about that night. There was moonlight on her hair, the feeling of her in my arms, the hot smell of her skin that hadn't been mixed with Scott's for a good while...anyway. She was going to break things off with Scott the next day, so we kinda held back.  
  
Then a mission came up, and I left that night. I couldn't say goodbye. It only took me a little while to set things right, but in those three days I was gone, Jean took to hiding in Hank's lab and with the Prof. I didn't see her again for months and months, and when I finally did, her scent was so tightly woven with Hank's....  
  
That was so maddening. How the hell could I compete with Hank? Hey, I didn't mind competing with Scott. I didn't even have to try, the way he was behaving. But I like Hank, and I know he didn't do anything wrong.  
  
I tried to hate him, of course. Didn't work. Bastard.  
  
I had no problems hating Jean for a while, though. Leading me on, tempting me, going to someone else instead of coming to me after I'd waited for her for months...yeah. No problem.  
  
Oh, yes, I waited for her to come to me. I believed she would, you see. All that time we spent together...the plans we had...she would come.  
  
Yeah. Naive. Even I can make mistakes.  
  
She came to me too late, a day after I found out what she'd done. I couldn't wait any more, so I had asked Kitty to check on her. That night was their first time together, and it shattered everything.  
  
Jean was covered in his lust and hers. After all that time I'd spent waiting, she finally chose, and she chose Hank, not me. It was maddening. It made me hungry and angry. She dared to give me the "let's just be friends" speech, too. That was too much for me. I had to get out, get away from that intoxicating smell.  
  
I spent about a week riding around, only stopping for gas. The wind was clean and cleared out my head just fine. And when I came back, I did my best to avoid both of them. I couldn't stop my nose up, but other than that, they might as well not have existed.  
  
Wait. It gets stranger than this.  
  
So somehow, Scott and Rogue both next got control of their abilities. I got a little advance warning about that one, as Rogue came to me that night to let me know she'd gained control. I found out they'd been screwing, too...probably in that earlier "closed door" session in the Danger Room. Damned shame...the smart money was on Remy for the honor of being the first, though a few were going for Bobby, Kurt, and even me. (Silly kids.) I don't think Scott ever was in the running at all. So a lot of money was lost the day Scott and Rogue were known to be together. After that, people started betting on the weirdest couples they could think of, like Magneto and Kitty or Mystique and Chuck.  
  
Which way did I bet? Well. If I had a bet on at all, and I'm not saying I did, it wouldn't be on me or the poster boy for rules and regulations, either. Rogue's cute and probably a good lay, but come on. She's a kid, and what the hell would we talk about afterward?  
  
So anyway. She went back to uptight-and-always-right Summers' room, and I got to thinking. I didn't approve of the relationship all that much, but I didn't want the whole school outside their door the next morning because they thought Scott and Jean were back together, either.  
  
Yeah, they were making that much noise.  
  
So I stood watch over their door. Funny. No one much seemed to want to hang around till they woke up late.  
  
Oh, they were going to sleep in, all right.  
  
When they came out, they were holding hands, and Rogue wasn't wearing her gloves. Scott wasn't wearing his glasses, but I'm not sure that was an improvement.  
  
I walked with them down to breakfast, partly because everyone else's reactions were hilarious. I didn't know Bobby could be made speechless by anything. Heh. Also, who knew what kind of trouble this could cause?  
  
Of course, Kitty collared them as soon as they got down to breakfast. Funny how many people were eating that late. Place was packed. Bobby came down too, but he was still really quiet.  
  
Not much happened, really. Kurt wished them well with his usual God talk. Kitty fired questions so fast they'd be lucky to hear them, much less answer them. But then everyone shut up, because Hank was coming.  
  
I kinda faded back into the crowd, but stuck around long enough to see Hank offer Scott his hand, and Scott taking it. Good to see I wasn't the only one keeping an eye on things. Kitty got ready to phase someone if she had to, and the air got cold around Bobby.  
  
Luckily, Summers made the second smart decision I've seen him make, and everyone started breathing again.  
  
I took off. But Hank chased me down, smelling of her. He wanted to shake my hand too. Why not. It was never about him, anyway. He nodded when I told him and said he knew that.  
  
What do I think about it? Well. Summers doesn't have a good track record, so I don't trust him to be good for anyone, much less my pal Rogue. On the other hand, their sex life is pretty good. Their scents are mingled far more than his and Jean's ever were. So I don't know. I've been keeping an eye on them.  
  
Jean wasn't done shaking things up by a long shot. The spotlight switched back to her in a little while, when she was found on the floor of the Danger Room passed out. Seems she'd been playing with one of Hank's mutagens with the idea of joining him in his furry state. After two weeks in a coma, Jean had changed. Her scent was different. She was also a natural redhead, for she was covered with red fur, had a tail, and looked like a cross between a woman and a cat. Most of her offensive telepathic abilities were kaput as well, not that she minded.  
  
It made things a little easier for me to deal with. That familiar Jean smell was gone. I didn't have to try as hard to stay out of her way.  
  
Then the elf went crazy. He got trapped in the Danger Room with a succubus who was out for ... well, if you think blood, you're wrong. Heh. The betting crowd never imagined a demon would be trying to snag Kurt, and not one of the atheist mutants around here.  
  
She didn't seem to be out to harm him, though, so we didn't take any actions to put her on ice. (Nah, she wasn't after his soul. His body'd do nicely.)  
  
Some people are convinced Kurt's making her up, because they've never seen her. Heh. I saw her tonight. She didn't know it, but I did. I never forget a smell.  
  
I think she is dangerous, though. She's gotten Kurt thinking that Mystique's his mother, and that she's not beyond redemption, so he's going after her. He's crazy. He should know better, after all she's done. Hell, I've told him. You don't go after the Evil Mutant Bitch Queen of the Universe with no plan in mind.  
  
He has the nerve to smile at me and say he has faith. Yeah? Well, I have claws. And I have no problem using them, even if it hurts poor Nightcrawler's feelings. Hmph.  
  
Oh yeah, and in the midst of all this, Chuck got healed again. But it's happened before, and someone always cuts the legs out from under him again. No one noticed, really.  
  
I think I'm gonna take off again. I stayed, even after Scott proposed to Rogue and she accepted. I stayed for the ceremony. I stayed for the reception, where Kurt was eating with the succubus and the smell of lust was strong on both of them, but not mixed together. Yet.  
  
But when Hank, and the very pregnant Jean with him, announced their wedding plans, something snapped. I had to get out, go where no one will find me. That lets out...most places, really.  
  
Hm. Maybe I'll fly south for the winter. 


End file.
